The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 215

214

“That guy, he quit.”

Karma Corporation Headquarters, CEO’s office.

After the routine screenings and evaluations were finished, I returned to the office after a long absence. Head of Division Lee Ah-young greeted me with this unexpected news.

“…Who are you talking about?”

“Who else could it be? Choi Jong-hyuk.”

“Ah.”

Only after hearing his name did I recall the person I had momentarily forgotten.

“Well… there must have been a limit to how much he could endure. That rumor was going around the entire division.”

“You mean the one about him hitting on the Head of Division and getting rejected? So he spread rumors as revenge, probably.”

“Apparently, his behavior wasn’t great to begin with. Especially when it came to women, he was notorious within the team. He just ran his mouth wrong and got what was coming to him.”

“Well, he got what he deserved.”

“……Why are you talking like it’s someone else’s problem? You’re the one who started it.”

I gave a faint smile.

That’s right. I spread that rumor.

No, to be precise, I instructed Head of Division Lee Ah-young to spread it.

Through Assistant Manager Song Hye-yeon of the support team.

Knowing that she’s close with Kim Min-joo, she must have believed it wholeheartedly, even though it was a pretty absurd story.

That’s how the rumor spread like wildfire from Assistant Manager Song Hye-yeon to the support team, and from the support team to the entire operations team in an instant.

It probably didn’t even take a day for it to reach his ears.

No one said it outright, but the way they looked at him and their attitude must have changed.

They say the one who endures wins, but even for a crazy bastard, it would be hard to endure in that situation.

Anyway, I didn’t issue any official punishment, so I kept my promise.

There’s no way to hold me accountable for this.

Just like he did, the originator of the rumor will never be found.

“By the way… did you find out anything about the person backing Director Park Jang-mok?”

At that moment, Head of Division Lee Ah-young asked cautiously.

“I tried, but… it’s not easy. There are over 200 lawmakers in the Future Democratic Party.”

“Still, if it’s someone influential enough to interfere with our company, there can’t be that many.”

“The problem is that it’s not like those people have their intentions written on their faces.”

If it was someone with connections to the international association and who could interfere with the company’s internal affairs, I figured they must be up to no good.

So I started investigating almost all the lawmakers belonging to the Future Democratic Party.

I scoured their districts, pledges, businesses, policies, owned houses and real estate, and even how many votes they received in the election, but I couldn’t find anyone who stood out.

Perhaps because Director Park Jang-mok was arrested, I wondered if they would try to bail him out or provide him with a lawyer, but even that didn’t happen.

It’s like they’re saying they won’t back a horse that’s already stumbled twice…

Anyway, I haven’t obtained any information so far.

I don’t think digging any deeper will turn up anything.

‘Maybe it’s best to just give up at this point…’

It’s a shame, but there’s nothing I can do.

I have no choice but to put it aside until I hear other news.

“Anyway, now that the screening is over, I want to rest for a while.”

I let out a faint sigh and leaned back in my chair.

But for some reason, Head of Division Lee Ah-young looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“What are you talking about?”

“……Pardon?”

“The Seoul headquarters screening is only finished. Starting next week, we’ll be going into the Suwon, Cheonan, and Busan branch screenings.”

“……”

“After that, we’ll go into the local branches, and once the domestic screenings are over, we’ll send the screening data and evaluation criteria to each country’s association to proceed with overseas screenings.”

“Stop… I understand.”

Shit.

Why doesn’t the work ever decrease?

‘Something feels wrong…….’

As I was making a genuinely tired expression, Head of Division Lee Ah-young burst into laughter.

“Well, this is just the work content. You don’t need to be in charge of the screenings yourself anymore. Each branch will proceed on its own based on this screening.”

“……That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”

“So, are you going to take a vacation or something?”

Head of Division Lee Ah-young asked as she put away the documents.

But I had already figured out her intentions, so I raised the corners of my mouth and replied.

“Would you let me go if I said I was going?”

“No.”

“…….”

Of course.

If you weren’t going to let me, you shouldn’t have asked in the first place.

She’s really serious about teasing me.

“Well… I’ll think about it if I’m going with you.”

“How do you know where I’m going?”

“Anywhere.”

She shrugged her shoulders as she spoke calmly.

Is she finally crazy?

How long has it been since the scandal broke, even if it was just a rumor, and now we’re going on vacation together?

Is she trying to ruin our dungeon lives together?

I was about to shake my head at the thought.

‘……Wait a minute.’

Suddenly, something flashed through my mind.

“Hahaha. I’m just kidding, just kidding. Why are you so serious……”

“You said you’d go anywhere, right?”

“……Yes, yes?”

“Let’s go.”

I looked at Head of Division Lee Ah-young and said it one more time.

“Let’s go on vacation.”

“……Are you serious?”

“I’m serious.”

“…….”

When I answered firmly, she suddenly turned her back.

“…What is it? You brought it up first.”

“Oh, no, I was just… a little flustered.”

But that was only for a moment.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

She turned her head back with her usual expression and answered.

“I’ll contact you as soon as the date and place are decided.”

“Alright.”

She nodded calmly and left the office.

***

“Hoo……”

Kim Min-joo sat in the head of division’s office and let out a deep sigh.

For the past few days, she had been so out of it that she didn’t even know how she was doing her job.

It was fortunate that there weren’t many subjugation schedules, but if she had gone on an orange-rank subjugation [a high-difficulty dungeon raid] in this state, she would have had to give up an arm or a leg.

Who would be any different?

Even if you can endure physical hardship well, mental anguish is hard to bear.

Above all, it was the first time she had been caught up in such gossip, and she had no immunity to it.

She tried not to show it, but… she had been through a lot.

‘……I should at least buy him a meal.’

Kim Min-joo muttered to herself as she thought of him.

Of course, she knew that one meal wouldn’t be enough.

If it hadn’t been for him, she might have really lost her job this time.

Even though she could have been caught in the crossfire if she rashly tried to protect him, he stepped forward to help.

No, it didn’t seem like he even had that thought in mind.

She wanted to repay him even more, but… he wouldn’t accept it, knowing his personality.

Above all, the rumors had only just subsided, and if she wasn’t careful, there might be more unnecessary talk.

‘This position is too much for me…….’

Even though it was all over, Kim Min-joo still felt dizzy when she thought about what happened.

She tried her best, but now that this had happened, she really didn’t have any confidence.

Frankly, she didn’t even know if she was doing a good job.

She didn’t get here because of her skills in the first place, she was just lucky.

She only accepted the position because she wanted to be a source of strength for Kim Jun-woo, but… no matter how she thought about it, she was still far from qualified to sit in this position.

‘…….’

Kim Min-joo pondered more seriously than ever.

About stepping down from the position of head of division this time.

This position was still premature for her.

She was afraid of the other hunters’ gazes if she continued to hold on to it under the guise of responsibility.

A head of division who got a parachute position [a position obtained through connections rather than merit] by riding the representative line well, ignoring her years of experience.

Choi Jong-hyuk was just expressing that thought outwardly this time, but frankly, it seemed like the other hunters were thinking the same thing.

Then wouldn’t it be better to stay as an operations team hunter for a few more years, build up skills that everyone could recognize, and then try again?

It was then that she was seriously considering that.

Knock, knock―.

Someone knocked on the office door.

“Can I come in?”

It was Han Yu-bin.

“……Yes, yes.”

Kim Min-joo hurriedly managed her expression and greeted her.

Of course, that alone couldn’t hide it from Han Yu-bin’s eyes.

“What’s wrong? Why do you look like that?”

“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing, is it? Your face looks like……”

Han Yu-bin narrowed her eyes and moved closer to Kim Min-joo, continuing her words.

“Like someone who’s going to write a resignation letter today.”

“…….”

Kim Min-joo was startled for a moment, but there was no point in hiding it now.

“I… I’m thinking of quitting.”

“Hunting?”

“No. The position of head of division.”

“Is that a position you can go up to when you want and go down from as you please?”

“W, well, it’s not, but……”

Kim Min-joo trailed off at Han Yu-bin’s sharp question.

She lowered her gaze and opened her mouth in a low voice.

“I still think it’s too much for me. I think the other hunters are looking at me badly too……”

“Huh.”

Han Yu-bin’s reaction was as if she was dumbfounded.

Then, she put her hand on her waist and said in a slightly firm voice.

“I have a bad personality, so I can’t say nice things. I can’t comfort you either.”

“……I know.”

“…….”

Han Yu-bin’s eyebrows twitched for a moment.

She felt strange because she admitted it so readily.

“Ahem… Anyway, so, I’ll just tell you the facts.”

Han Yu-bin said that and handed Kim Min-joo the document envelope she was holding.

“What’s this…?”

“I actually came to give you this. The screening results are out.”

At those words, Kim Min-joo immediately swallowed hard.

It seemed like she was nervous no matter what.

She carefully opened the envelope and checked the documents.

Scores for detailed evaluation items, lengthy screening comments.

What caught her eye first, setting all that aside, was…….

None other than that sentence.

“H, huh…?”

Kim Min-joo looked back and forth between the documents and Han Yu-bin with a dumbfounded expression.

It was a natural reaction.

Becoming an S-rank didn’t just mean being promoted to the next level.

The 102nd in the world.

And the first in Korea.

In other words, it meant that Kim Min-joo had become the number one ranked hunter in Korea as of this moment.

“No matter how much you underestimate yourself, the fact is that. If the first Korean S-rank person isn’t fit to be the head of the operations division, then who is?”

“…….”

“So, how is it?”

Han Yu-bin smiled slightly and continued her words.

“How does it feel to be the best in Korea?”

“It’s not because I did well, it’s all because you helped me……”

“Oh, really!”

Han Yu-bin finally couldn’t stand her frustration and raised her voice.

“Stop underestimating yourself! I know that guy is great! But that’s separate from you getting S-rank, okay? You got it purely with your skills, so be happy about it!”

“…….”

At those words, Kim Min-joo lowered her head.

You couldn’t see her face, but it seemed like she was overwhelmed with quite complex emotions.

Han Yu-bin put her hand on her shoulder and said.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“……Thank you.”

“You’ve been promoted, so I want to tell you to rest for a few days… but that won’t work.”

“Yes?”

“You’re the first Korean S-rank.”

Han Yu-bin shrugged her shoulders and continued her words.

“You’re going to have a hard time with reporters for a while, you know?”

“Ah……”

Kim Min-joo smiled faintly only then.

It was then that a warm atmosphere was flowing in the office.

“B, big trouble! There’s big trouble!”

Head of Division Lee Ah-young suddenly stormed into the office.

“Wh, what is it?”

“What’s wrong?”

At the same time, Han Yu-bin and Kim Min-joo reacted seriously.

Head of Division Lee Ah-young’s face was quite flushed.

Moreover, seeing that she was quite restless, unlike usual, it seemed like something unusual had happened.

“J, Jun-woo ssi……”

Head of Division Lee Ah-young tried to calm her chest and continued her words.

“He said he’d go on vacation… together.”

“……?”

“……?”

A moment of silence fell in the office at the truly unexpected answer.

But that was only for a moment.

“W, wait a minute…!”

“That guy really said that?!”

“R, really?! Did Teacher really ask Ah-young ssi to go with him?!”

“Why?! Ah, no… that guy, was he interested in you?!”

Thinking about it again slowly, it couldn’t be anything but shocking news.

That Kim Jun-woo of all people asked a woman to go on vacation with him?

Han Yu-bin and Kim Min-joo were horrified and rushed in at the situation that they couldn’t even imagine.

“Ah, no, that was… I said it as a joke, but he grabbed it.”

“Huh……”

“Teacher… Ah-young ssi was your type……”

Everyone seemed to be in shock, and they couldn’t speak for a while.

“So……”

In the meantime, Han Yu-bin opened her mouth with difficulty.

“How about you?”

“Wh, what about what.”

“What else? Do you want to go?”

“…….”

Lee Ah-young hesitated for a moment with a very awkward expression.

“I, it’s an order from the representative, so I can’t refuse……”

“Geez, so many excuses.”

What’s the point of beating around the bush when you can just say it honestly.

Han Yu-bin shook her head and got up from her seat.

“Then first……”

Then, she gestured to Head of Division Lee Ah-young and said.

“Let’s go buy some clothes to wear.”